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The Sports Section Some Of Our All-Time Favorite Olympic Watch Moments

Gold stars all-around.

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The 2020 Olympics are up and running, looking wildly different than previous games. While we all wait to see how the events unfold, we decided to take a trip down memory lane with some of our favorite watch moments from previous games.

Johnny Weir's Rolex Datejust Two-Tone
Johnny Weir wearing a Rolex watch

My favorite thing about the Olympics is how I magically transform into an expert on every sport known to man for two weeks every other year. It's like clockwork. Strange, right? All joking aside though, it's commentators like Johnny Weir who really make watching the games fun. The pithy insights, the inside tips, and, of course, the fun color commentary. So when we spotted Weir rocking one of the most classic watches of all time, I got pretty excited. You don't have to be rocking a piece-unique carbon tourbillon to get noticed ... though that iconic haircut certainly doesn't hurt Weir's case.  –Stephen Pulvirent

Yohan Blake's Richard Mille Tourbillon
Yohan Blake wears a Richard Mille watch

By the time Yohan Blake strapped a Richard Mille to his wrist for the finals of the 100m Dash at the London 2012 Olympics, we'd already become accustomed to the sight of world-class athletes wearing Mille's fantastically light watches in the heat of competition. I'm thinking first and foremost of Rafa Nadal and Bubba Watson. Still the Jamaican sprinter (and training partner of Usain Bolt) caused a sensation in the watch world when he stepped up to the starting blocks and crossed the finish line wearing a unique RM tourbillon designed specifically for sprinting. The watch was subsequently auctioned for charity in the 2013 Only Watch Auction.  –Jon Bues

Florence Griffith-Joyner's Casio SDB-300
Flo Jo and a Casio watch

Flo Jo's style is simply unmatched. Not only was she a powerhouse runner, she was a fashion icon. Her nails usually get the shine but her watch game was impeccable. Though she's usually a member of the small watch club, she wore this bright yellow Casio SDB-300 on the podium of the 1988 Seoul Olympics when she won gold for the 100 meter. I love this moment because she is so often shown in motion, arms raised in triumph; this feels like a very human moment with a very relatable watch.  –Nora Taylor


Mike Krzyzewski's Rolex Submariner 116613LB 'Bluesy'

One of my absolute favorite Olympic memories is watching the 2008 U.S.A Men's Basketball team. Led by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade on the court, and nicknamed the Redeem Team after a disappointing bronze medal finish at the 2004 Games, the U.S.A team played beautiful basketball, sweeping the competition to wind up with Gold. Roaming the sidelines that year? The one-and-only Coach K, Duke Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K returned to lead the U.S.A Men's team to the gold medal in 2012 and 2016, and in the process, he rocked a gold medal-worthy watch: the Rolex Submariner Date ref. 116613LB "Bluesy."  –Logan Baker